The Ixias beat Tuks 41-40 at Loftus Versfeld, however, had an 83rd-minute conversion it would have been the home team celebrating.

Leading 41-33, CUT looked set to run down the clock, only to concede a turnover with seconds remaining. Tuks then did brilliantly to take the ball through 15-plus phases before replacement winger Enrique Cronjé scored a point-of-origin try two minutes into stoppage time.

However, the conversion – from a relatively difficult angle considering the pressure situation – went wide, much to CUT’s delight.

The Ixias will now face the FNB NWU Eagles on Tuesday in a rescheduled Round 7 match that will effectively be a quarter-final.

CUT took an early 8-0 lead in this match when a penalty from flyhalf Charles Williams was followed by the first of four maul tries to hooker Janus Venter.

CUT's forwards asserted their dominance once again when captain Luvoyo Ndevu scored and Williams' conversion made it 15-0.

Tuks got back into the game when centre Louritz van der Schyff powered over for a try, and hooker André van der Merwe added another to reduce the deficit to three.

Tuks captain Eduan Lubbe put his team back into the lead, only for Venter to complete his hat-trick. Fullback Cohen Jasper converted the hooker’s third to make it 27-19 at half-time.

Tuks hooker André van der Merwe and flank Llewellyn Classen were both yellow-carded for cynical infringements late in the first half and they were still off the field when Jasper finished off a point-of-origin try for the Ixias early in the second.

Kruger’s converted try gave Tuks hope at 41-24 and when they were awarded a penalty try in the 71st minute, after Williams deliberately knocked the ball on, they were right back in the game.

Williams was yellow-carded and flank Ulrich Stander joined him in the sin bin in the 77th minute, but while 13-man CUT did eventually concede a try, they were able to start celebrating when the conversion went wide.

Player That Rocks: Xander Botha (CUT)

Tuks – Tries: Louritz van der Schyff, André van der Merwe, Eduan Lubbe, Zandré Kruger, penalty try, Enrique Cronjé (1x7). Conversions: Jaylen James (3).

Ixias – Tries: Janus Venter (4), Luvoyo Ndevu, Cohen Jasper (1x7). Conversions: Charles Williams, Jasper (2). Penalty: Williams.